Keller, Fellow Lawmakers Urge Residents to Call Wolf on His Misguided Tax Plan
HARRISBURG – State Rep. Fred Keller (R-85) and his fellow lawmakers today sent an open letter to Pennsylvania taxpayers urging them to call Gov. Tom Wolf and tell him to stop his misguided plan to tax middle class families who are already struggling to make ends meet. The text of the letter follows:
Dear Fellow Pennsylvanians,
The 2015-16 Pennsylvania General Fund Budget delivered to Governor Tom Wolf, on June 30, was the result of much deliberation, debate and compromise. In fact, more than two-thirds of the line items in this budget were funded with at least as much money as the governor had requested in his March 3 budget address. Crafting a budget that meets the needs of this Commonwealth while being respectful of taxpayers, working and retired, was accomplished by building on proven fiscal policies; policies that recognize individual investment is what drives a healthy economy. In the 2014-15 fiscal year, because the private sector created jobs, our state revenue collections were $400 million greater than expected. This growth, provided by an expanding economy, coupled with the use of cash balances in state agencies enabled the Legislature to produce a balanced budget without raising taxes.
The only way Pennsylvania government can spend as much as Governor Wolf has proposed is to raise your taxes. Governor Wolf’s tax plan, amendment A0808 to
House Bill 283, that would have generated enough revenue to fund his spending plan was debated and defeated in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on June 1, 2015. The bipartisan rejection of the Wolf tax proposal was unanimous, 0-193, not even one Democrat representative voted for the governor's tax increases. After the aforementioned vote the General Assembly had only one option, which is exactly what was contained in the budget Governor Wolf vetoed, and that was to produce a budget using existing revenue.
As members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, we worked with our House and Senate colleagues to create a fiscally responsible budget that is respectful of all Pennsylvanians' hard-earned money. As we get deeper into the summer without an enacted budget, liquor privatization and pension reform, we ask that you remember one person is responsible. Please call Governor Wolf, (717) 787-2500, and tell him you don't want your family's pay cut by higher taxes.
Sincerely,
Fred Keller
Representative, 85th Legislative District
Kurt Masser
Representative, 10th Legislative District
Lynda Schlegel Culver
Representative, 108th Legislative District
Adam Harris
Representative, 82nd Legislative District
Garth Everett
Representative, 84th Legislative District
Dave Millard
Representative, 109th Legislative District
Jeff Wheeland
Representative, 83rd Legislative District